Heritage employee faces drug charge after Senate office security screening finds cocaine, fentanyl

A Heritage Foundation employee is facing charges of drug possession after a security screening at the Russell Senate Office Building detected substances that presumptively tested positive as cocaine and fentanyl, according to an news report Monday.

The news outlet NOTUS reports that a July 14 affidavit shows Matthew Christopher Wingate placed his briefcase on an X-ray machine as part of a routine screening. An officer saw on the X-ray image what appeared to be a pistol magazine inside the bag. A secondary screening found a magazine with 10 rounds of 9 mm ammunition.

According to Legistorm, Wingate is the government-relations director for defense and foreign policy at Heritage, the venerable conservative think tank. He is also a former national security adviser for Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and a former military legislative assistant for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. 

An officer also discovered a plastic sandwich bag in an exterior pocket of the briefcase containing pills. Field testing returned a presumptive positive result for cocaine and fentanyl, the affidavit states.

Firearms and ammunition are generally prohibited inside Senate office buildings, but a check of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Gun Registry Unit confirmed Wingate held a valid license to carry a firearm in D.C., according to the affidavit. 

Wingate told officers under questioning that he had forgotten the magazine was in his briefcase and said the drugs were prescribed to him by a medical professional. He was released from custody on a misdemeanor charge and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 27.